Alofa (A Telesa Story)

The Alofa Covenant #2

They were back on the mainland and driving into town when Daniel got a call from Okesene. The welders were having a minor emergency on site and needed his help. Urgently. "Sorry, I have to go to Vaitele where the boys are working. Can we go straight to the workshop so I can grab my gear?" asked Daniel. "This isn't quite how I imagined our homecoming would be. Our first day back and our first time together at your house." An apologetic smile.

"It's fine. You need to take care of work. I'll wait at the house for you. I want to check on Mama's plants anyway."

"You sure?" asked Daniel.

"Definitely. We've got plenty of time for that list of yours," she joked, to show him she really didn't mind. "The rest of our lives in fact."

When they got to Daniel's place, he rushed their bags inside and gave her a quick kiss before grabbing the necessary gear from the workshop. "I'll try to be done by four. I've got my phone if you need me," he said as he ran down the steps.

Leila watched him go with a smile that hid her slight unease. This was her first time alone at the Tahi house and even though she wasn't superstitious, she was uncomfortably aware the place had seen a great deal of violence and death only a short while ago. But before she could get too freaked out thinking about it, her phone beeped.

A text from Simone. Of course. He was probably dying to find out all about the honeymoon...

- Wea R u?!!

- At Daniel's. U want 2 knw how the honeymoon was. Ha. #notTelling #hotness #love #ChunkHunk

Simone ignored her attempts to engage in post-wedding banter. Instead, another demanding message.

- Is he with u?

- No.

- Good.

- Why? Wats up?

- STAY THERE!!!!

Puzzled, but more amused than worried, Leila rolled her eyes at Simone's melodrama. She went out to the garden and was getting the hose to give the plants a good watering, when the phone rang.

Simone.

"Where are you?" he demanded.

"Hello to you too," said Leila. "I told you, at Daniel's. I'm working in the garden."

"Get out to the workshop, now. Someone's on their way."

"Who...what?"

Simone interrupted her. "I'm at work."

"Okaaay?" said Leila. Simone's family owned a grocery store down by the waterfront in town and when he wasn't playing netball, designing a new ensemble or babysitting for his multitude of nephews and nieces – he worked the cash register at the store. Leila hadn't talked to him since the wedding and his brusque tone troubled her. "Simone, is this about you moving out? I told you that wasn't necessary. Me and Daniel talked about it again when we were on the island and we agree, you should stay."

Simone brushed through her words. "No, puhleaze Leila, watching the two of you pet each other like lovesick cats is not my idea of a good time. Nor is having to blast my stereo every night so I don't have to hear you get freaky. This isn't about that."

"What is it then?"

"Stop interrupting and maybe I can tell you?! I'm at the store and a man came in for supplies. He just arrived in the country, he's got a boat docked at the marina. We got to talking and he mentioned his boat needs some repairs, some welding work. I gave him directions to Daniel's workshop."

"But Daniel's not here. He's on site with the whole team at a fabrication project at Vaitele."

"Good," snapped Simone. His relief was evident even through the phone.

"Not good," countered Leila. "I can't help anyone fix their boat. Why did you send a customer here when you know Daniel's not at the workshop?!"

As she spoke, Leila heard the sound of a car engine. She glanced over the fence in time to see a rental car pull up to the workshop. "Dammit Simone, someone's here. This must be him." A groan of frustration. "I'll just stay here at the back and wait for him to leave. Once he figures out the place is shut, then he'll be on his way."

"NO!" Simone's order was so loud, Leila jumped. "Go meet him, talk to him, pretend you work there or something. Act like you know everything about welding."

Leila was still staring across the yard as she hissed at Simone on the phone, "What the heck are you going on about? What's wrong with you?"

A man got out of the rental car and stood for a moment, staring up at the workshop sign. He wore khaki shorts to the knee, a white T-shirt and a baseball cap. She couldn't see his face because he had his back to her. But after knocking on the big roller doors without any reply, he looked towards the house. Quickly, Leila ducked down beside the fence, hoping he hadn't seen her. She whispered, "Simone, I'm not in the mood to talk to customers or strangers or potential weirdoes, or all three, right now, okay? I'm gonna hide out here and wait for him to go away."

"I don't ask you for much Leila Folger Tahi, but I'm asking you now – go meet him. Look at him. Really look at him." There was pleading insistence in Simone's voice and Leila couldn't ignore it. "I saw it right away, but I want to know if you see it too. Or maybe I'm imagining it. Either way, we need to be sure before we tell Daniel."

"Tell Daniel what?" whispered Leila. She gave a furtive glance over the fence. The man was getting back in his car.

"Please Leila. Go see him before he drives away," said Simone.

"Fine," said Leila. "But you owe me." She hung up the phone and muttered a curse word under her breath as she sprinted across the garden, through the gate and over to the workshop.

The man had started the engine of his car and was ready to reverse when he caught sight of her in his rear view mirror. He stopped the car and got out.

Leila had a polite smile plastered on her face. "Hi, can I help you..." The words and the smile faded away as the stranger turned so she could clearly see his face. All the air rushed out of her lungs as she stared at him in shock.

About the same height as her, lean and wiry, with skin tanned golden-brown, he looked to be in his late twenties. Flinted green eyes, an easy smile that she had seen somewhere before... and as she gaped, he took his cap off so he could wipe the sweat off his forehead – and then she KNEW she'd seen his smile before. His hair was brown like burnished coconut wood and it caught with deep red highlights in the sun. He inclined his head slightly as he extended his hand, "Hi, I'm Ronan Matiu." Up close, she saw he was older than she'd first thought. Laugh lines crinkled the edges of his eyes and his skin had the weathered look of a man who spent his days in the sun...on the sea...with the biting salt wind for company. "I thought nobody was about. The shop looked all closed up. You open for business?"

Leila reeled as if she'd seen a ghost but he couldn't be a ghost because he was shaking her hand and he didn't feel like a spirit. Or a spectre. Or a figment of her imagination. He was waiting for her to say something. Noting her stunned state, he frowned. Concern. "Miss, are you alright?"

NO! Leila screamed inside. I'm not alright.

He was a stranger and yet he was, at the same time, paradoxically, all too familiar. He was shorter and not as ruggedly built, but she knew instantly, why Simone had sent this man here.

He was Daniel, twenty years from now.